Protection

PROTECTION

Every day, millions of children worldwide are victims of violence, exploitation and abuse. These violations take place in their communities, schools, institutions and even families; during armed conflict, and when subjected to the worst forms of labor or harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage. Millions more, not yet victims, remain without adequate protection. Côte d’Ivoire is not an exception and has seen the situation of children worsen during the crisis (2002-2007). Despite the Ouagadougou Peace Agreement signature (March 2007), the situation has not really improved, and children and women are still exposed to all sorts of abuses without having access to adequate protection:

Birth registration disrupted because of the beginning of the conflict is only slowly resuming

Increasing cases of trafficking (more than 200 identified cases in 2006 and 2007)

Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development. UNICEF draws on its Core Corporate Commitments, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Millennium Declaration, A World Fit for Children and other international human rights agreements.

UNICEF advocates and supports the creation of a protective environment for children in partnership with governments, national and international partners including the private sector, and civil society.

UNICEF continues its efforts in the field of reintegration of children ex-associated with armed groups. To this end, UNICEF coordinates financial resource mobilization to purchase installation kits and strong partnership development to ensure the success of children’s reintegration. Through a holistic approach (food, medical, psychosocial assistance and follow-up, and recreational activities), family, social and work-related reintegration activities are organized in the Centre, North and West (CNW) areas, as well as in the South for the benefit of thousands of crisis-affected children. Furthermore, UNICEF is, in collaboration with other UN agencies, actively involved in the execution of the Security Council Resolution 1612. This resolution calls for the creation of a monitoring and reporting mechanism on six grave violations of children’s rights, as well as for the creation of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. Actions carried out by UNICEF and UNOCI (the United Nations in Côte d’Ivoire) led to the signing of formal agreements in which the ex-rebels and pro-government militias committed to not use children in their ranks. Hence, respect of action plans and regular dialogue with parties involved in the conflict led to a continued decrease in involvement of children in armed groups: no proof could be established in 2007 regarding recruitment and use of children in armed groups.

UNICEF also supports activities that fight against sexual violence and harmful traditional practices, including Female Genital Mutilation to raise communities’ awareness of children and women’s protection against violence. Community mobilization and capacity-building activities are supported to ensure legal, medical and psychosocial assistance for victims of sexual violence.

UNICEF strongly advocates the promotion of birth registration. Birth registration is essential to ensure access to healthcare and education, and to obtain an identity and a nationality. It also protects young people from underage military service, forced marriage and child labor.

Because of the weakness of public structures in CNW zones, community and private initiatives have mushroomed. But these initiatives suffer from a lack of organizational, structural and technical capacities. UNICEF has organized trainings related to the major issues in the field of protection to strengthen its partners’ capacities in terms of community mobilization, projects’ follow-up and protection of children in emergency situations. Taking into account the redeployment of the administration, national capacity building, such as support to different ministries to strengthen knowledge and experience and ensure sustainability is prioritized.

Reducing gender-based violence against girls and womenA significant number of girls and women in Côte d'Ivoire have been victims of sexual violence at least once in their lifetimes. And between 2007 and 2008, the number of reported cases of such violence increased dramatically.